MYP Design Curriculum · MYP Year 4

Grade 9

Independence and depth. Students lead their own research and take fuller responsibility for design decisions. Units are longer in student-work terms even if calendar-equal. Sensor-based projects become the norm. The design folder begins to resemble the MYP Year 5 e-portfolio standard.

Unit 1 · Sep–Oct

UX Design in Figma — Interactive Portfolio Prototype

ABCD
Key Concept
Communication
Related Concepts
Aesthetics, Function
Global Context
Personal and Cultural Expression
Statement of Inquiry
User-centered design aligns aesthetics, function, and identity to serve a defined audience.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is UX vs UI? What is a user flow? Conceptual: How does a design reveal assumptions about its users? Debatable: Is accessible design always good design?
Skills / Tools
Figma (or Penpot). Components, variants, auto-layout. User flows, wireframes, mid-fi to hi-fi mockups. Interactive prototype with transitions. Heuristic evaluation of existing portfolio sites. Formal user testing with rubrics.
AI Integration
AI as a UX consultant. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) evaluate existing portfolio sites against Nielsen's 10 heuristics, (2) get critique on their own wireframes (paste a screenshot description or wireframe image to Doubao), (3) generate user flow variations and test-task scripts, (4) suggest accessibility improvements. Required: students do their own heuristic evaluation first, then ask AI, then compare — the assignment is noticing where they disagree. Discussion: AI can be a useful second opinion but often gives generic UX advice; pushing back and asking for specifics is a skill.
Summative Assessment
High-fidelity interactive portfolio prototype (10+ screens) + design folder emphasis on A (competitor analysis of 5+ real portfolios, user research with at least 3 interviews, full design brief) and B (detailed specification, 3+ ideation directions, justified chosen design with component library) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
0 RMB.
Unit 2 · Nov–Jan

Sensor-Based Campus Solution — Arduino Project

ABCD
Key Concept
Systems
Related Concepts
Function, Innovation
Global Context
Scientific and Technical Innovation
Statement of Inquiry
Sensor systems generate data that designers can turn into responsive, useful solutions.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: How does an ultrasonic / temperature / light sensor work? What is PWM? Conceptual: What is the relationship between measurement and action? Debatable: When does "smart" become "surveillance"?
Skills / Tools
Arduino + sensor modules (DHT11 temp/humidity, HC-SR04 ultrasonic, LDR, PIR). Servo motors. Serial output for debugging. Data logging to SD (if available) or serial monitor. Schematic diagrams (Fritzing or hand-drawn). Ties into existing Nanyao River / UNESCO science dashboard work — students can propose a sensor for that project.
AI Integration
AI as a senior engineer consultant. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) plan the circuit and code architecture before building, (2) troubleshoot multi-component systems ("my sensor works alone but gives weird readings with the servo attached — what's common between these problems?"), (3) suggest calibration procedures. Higher bar than Gr 8: students must push back and verify. Required log entry: one instance per unit where the student caught AI giving wrong or misleading technical advice. Ethics discussion when surveillance questions arise organically from project choices.
Summative Assessment
Working sensor-based prototype addressing a real campus problem (e.g., hallway traffic counter, greenhouse monitor, cafeteria noise alerter) + design folder emphasis on C (Gantt plan, wiring + code listings, iteration log, skill evidence) and D (measured test data, evaluation, improvement plan, stakeholder impact analysis) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
See Part 5 for expansion-purchase plan.
Unit 3 · Feb–Apr

Data Visualization & Storytelling

ABCD
Key Concept
Communication
Related Concepts
Perspective, Culture
Global Context
Globalization and Sustainability
Statement of Inquiry
Data visualizations reveal (or distort) truths about the globalized world from the designer's perspective.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What are the main chart types and when do you use each? Conceptual: How does chart choice frame a narrative? Debatable: Can a visualization be neutral?
Skills / Tools
Data analysis in Google Sheets. Chart selection. Tools: Flourish (free tier), Datawrapper (free), or p5.js / D3 for advanced students. Analysis of good and bad real-world examples (e.g., comparing sources for the same statistic). Color-blindness considerations.
AI Integration
AI for data sense-making. Students use DeepSeek or Kimi to: (1) summarize a dataset and suggest what's interesting, (2) explain statistical concepts that appear in source material, (3) critique a draft visualization for clarity and honesty. Strong caution in this unit: AI will confidently hallucinate statistics and cite sources that don't exist — every number in the student's final visualization must be traced to an original source the student has personally seen. This is where AI fact-checking habits become rigorous.
Summative Assessment
Multi-chart data story on a globalization / sustainability topic, published as a web page or interactive Flourish embed + design folder emphasis on A (topic research from 5+ sources, analysis of 3 existing data stories, design brief) and B (specification, 3 chart-layout directions, justified chosen design) + AI Use Log with source-verification section.
Budget Note
0 RMB.
Unit 4 · Apr–Jun

3D Modeling — Blender Product Visualization

ABCD
Key Concept
Development
Related Concepts
Form, Aesthetics
Global Context
Globalization and Sustainability
Statement of Inquiry
Digital prototyping lets designers iterate on form and material before physical resources are committed.
Inquiry Questions
Factual: What are polygons, UVs, materials, lights? Conceptual: How does photorealism differ from stylized representation? Debatable: Is digital prototyping sustainable enough to replace physical?
Skills / Tools
Blender: modeling, basic texturing, lighting, rendering. Reference gathering. Turnaround renders. Compositing over simple backgrounds. Product brief writing.
AI Integration
AI as a Blender tutor and reference finder. Students use DeepSeek to: (1) explain Blender concepts and shortcuts, (2) troubleshoot when something breaks ("my model has weird shading after I applied a modifier — what's likely wrong?"), (3) generate reference prompts for mood boards. Optional: Doubao image generation for stylistic references (explicitly as mood-board input, not final output). Discussion: AI explanations of Blender are often outdated because the software changes fast — a 2023 tutorial answer may not work in current Blender; students learn to verify against current documentation.
Summative Assessment
Photoreal or stylized 3D product render (3 views + 1 hero shot) + design folder emphasis on C (plan including learning-curve time, modeling iterations, render settings log) and D (comparison with reference, evaluation against specification, improvements) + AI Use Log.
Budget Note
0 RMB. Blender is free and runs well on modest hardware.
IB compliance

Strand Coverage

Every strand of every criterion is assessed at least twice per year — summatively in the emphasis units (●) and formatively elsewhere (○).

Strand U1 FigmaU2 SensorsU3 DataVizU4 Blender
A.i Explain/justify need ●○●○
A.ii Prioritize research ●○●○
A.iii Analyze existing products ●○●○
A.iv Develop design brief ●○●○
B.i Design specification ●○●○
B.ii Range of feasible ideas ●○●○
B.iii Present/justify chosen design ●○●○
B.iv Planning drawings/diagrams ●○●○
C.i Logical plan ○●○●
C.ii Technical skills ○●○●
C.iii Follow plan / functioning solution ○●○●
C.iv Justify changes to plan ○●○●
D.i Testing methods ○●○●
D.ii Evaluate against specification ○●○●
D.iii Explain improvements ○●○●
D.iv Impact on client/audience ○●○●